So I have just seen a jaw-dropping video on the upcoming MS FS.
If what they say is to be believed, you can fly anywhere and the engine will use Machine Learning to filter Bing Maps' images to create the terrain data.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj8h6yibHHc
Now this is impressive enough, but think of Google Street View and the possibilities are amazing. GTA, Fallout, Left for Dead, Ghost Recon, AssCreed ...
Bing maps? i'm sure there'll be a mod to use google maps :D
What if you go to your gaming room and off yourself? Will your consciousness be trapped in the game?
Good idea. Surprised it hasn't been done before. Wonder if it is on Google's agenda with stadia.
Video showcasing flight over European cities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2HwLeJSAGc
Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Florence, Naples, Rouen, Southampton, Venice, Zurich
:o
Noisiest aircraft only, apparently. :P
I hadn't heard Microsoft was jumping back into the flightsim arena. :huh:
Quote from: Caliga on November 21, 2019, 08:31:03 PM
I hadn't heard Microsoft was jumping back into the flightsim arena. :huh:
Goddamit you people ARE getting old. It had to take a very dedicated ignorance of gaming news the past 6 months to avoid seeing the awesome teaser trailers
Quote from: Tamas on November 22, 2019, 07:42:07 AM
Quote from: Caliga on November 21, 2019, 08:31:03 PM
I hadn't heard Microsoft was jumping back into the flightsim arena. :huh:
Goddamit you people ARE getting old. It had to take a very dedicated ignorance of gaming news the past 6 months to avoid seeing the awesome teaser trailers
:lol:
Still no alpha invite :(
Quote from: Tamas on November 22, 2019, 07:42:07 AM
Quote from: Caliga on November 21, 2019, 08:31:03 PM
I hadn't heard Microsoft was jumping back into the flightsim arena. :huh:
Goddamit you people ARE getting old. It had to take a very dedicated ignorance of gaming news the past 6 months to avoid seeing the awesome teaser trailers
Wait what's a flightsim? Is that a game about some kind of flying carriage? How do they get the horses up into the air?
Quote from: Tamas on November 22, 2019, 07:42:07 AM
Goddamit you people ARE getting old. It had to take a very dedicated ignorance of gaming news the past 6 months to avoid seeing the awesome teaser trailers
a) I don't work in the gaming industry
b) Being a captain of industry is hard work and I don't have much time for games anymore
Head of HR /= captain of industry :rolleyes:
Quote from: katmai on December 02, 2019, 03:04:46 PM
Head of HR /= captain of industry :rolleyes:
Don't make me write you up. :mad:
I feel bad for FBI when they'll have to investigate all the automated alerts about people crashing into certain buildings in the sim.
I've just ordered a Geforce 1660 Ti card, mainly for RDR2 but I guess it'll be plenty useful for this game as well.
I use that card. It works well!
https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-system-requirements/
QuoteMicrosoft Flight Simulator is still scheduled for a vague 2020 release, though alpha testing has been in progress since October. It's a highly anticipated instalment, and it doesn't take much reading to figure out why: in addition to simulating the entire world, it'll also implement real-time air traffic, and all 37,000 real world airports will feature in it.
You'd think a pretty high end rig would be needed for all this, but it turns out the minimum specs for Microsoft Flight Simulator are fairly reasonable. That said, there's also 'recommended' and 'ideal' tiers, and the latter reckons you should have an RTX 2080 / Radeon VII and 32GB RAM.
Without further ado:
Microsoft Flight Simulator minimum specs
CPU: Ryzen 3 1200 / Intel i5-4460
GPU: Radeon RX 570 / NVIDIA GTX 770
VRAM: 2GB
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 150GB
Bandwidth: 5 Mbps
Microsoft Flight Simulator recommended specs
CPU: Ryzen 5 1500X / Intel i5-8400
GPU: Radeon RX 590 / Nvidia GTX 970
VRAM: 4GB
RAM: 16GB
HDD: 150GB
Bandwidth: 20 Mbps
Microsoft Flight Simulator ideal specs
CPU: Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X / Intel i7-9800X
GPU: Radeon VII / Nvidia RTX 2080
VRAM: 8GB
RAM: 32GB
HDD: 150GB (SSD recommended)
Bandwidth: 50 Mbps
Quotereal-time air traffic
The virtual skies will be emptier than in the previous Flight Simulator game. :lol:
Ed would have played just to kamikaze a Cessna 182 into some git flying a DC-3 from an add-on content person.
Quote from: Syt on May 14, 2020, 07:26:20 AM
https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-system-requirements/
QuoteMicrosoft Flight Simulator is still scheduled for a vague 2020 release, though alpha testing has been in progress since October. It's a highly anticipated instalment, and it doesn't take much reading to figure out why: in addition to simulating the entire world, it'll also implement real-time air traffic, and all 37,000 real world airports will feature in it.
You'd think a pretty high end rig would be needed for all this, but it turns out the minimum specs for Microsoft Flight Simulator are fairly reasonable. That said, there's also 'recommended' and 'ideal' tiers, and the latter reckons you should have an RTX 2080 / Radeon VII and 32GB RAM.
Oh wow, I might actually be able to play this :cool:
This will be releasing on 18 August.
On GamePass as well! :w00t:
Install size 150GB, I think I'll be buying a new SSD.
Quote from: Tamas on July 14, 2020, 04:16:50 AM
This will be releasing on 18 August.
On GamePass as well! :w00t:
Install size 150GB, I think I'll be buying a new SSD.
Wow, glad I recently upgraded mine. :sleep:
I would probably need to upgrade my video card as well, but my mobo is from like 2015, so... maybe I'll end up having to do more than just the card. :hmm:
Quote from: Caliga on July 16, 2020, 08:37:56 AM
Quote from: Tamas on July 14, 2020, 04:16:50 AM
This will be releasing on 18 August.
On GamePass as well! :w00t:
Install size 150GB, I think I'll be buying a new SSD.
Wow, glad I recently upgraded mine. :sleep:
I would probably need to upgrade my video card as well, but my mobo is from like 2015, so... maybe I'll end up having to do more than just the card. :hmm:
I am a bit foggy on the CPU generations and codes but I am hoping I can get decent quality out of it. I have an i5-6600K, 16 Gigs of RAM and a Geforce 1660, and I play in 1920*1080
My CPU is an Intel i7 Haswell-gen.
IIRC my config should be somewhere between recommended and optimum.
For pretty much all other games even very recent ones I can set everything to the highest setting, so here's hoping. That's only because I won't (can't) go above 1920*1080 though, my graphics card would struggle with higher resolutions.
I'm wondering if I should buy a Yoke.
Tamas, you should buy the physical version.
Quote from: Grey Fox on July 16, 2020, 09:32:39 AM
I'm wondering if I should buy a Yoke.
Tamas, you should buy the physical version.
Gamepass for me, thank you very much.
'couse.
You going to kb/m it?
What type of control method will you use to play the game?
Quote from: Grey Fox on July 16, 2020, 01:34:48 PM
What type of control method will you use to play the game?
(https://cdn.alza.co.uk/ImgW.ashx?fd=f3&cd=MH331e)
Not hardcore enough. Here you go:
(https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bqcgd2z-e1479915754636.jpg)
:lol:
I've flown actual commercial airliner simulators, with simulated g-forces. They are pretty cool.
You all must be yoking.
Quote from: The Brain on July 16, 2020, 03:04:58 PM
I've flown actual commercial airliner simulators, with simulated g-forces. They are pretty cool.
When I was on the USS Midway they had those but I was too drunk to ride one. :Embarrass:
Quote from: Tamas on July 16, 2020, 03:00:43 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on July 16, 2020, 01:34:48 PM
What type of control method will you use to play the game?
(https://cdn.alza.co.uk/ImgW.ashx?fd=f3&cd=MH331e)
Excellent.
I want to get this one :
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0276/0848/1901/products/AlphaFlightControls2_720x.jpg?v=1588232746)
Sadly, not available in Canada. Available but not cheap.
Steam page is live: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator/
Planned release 18/08/2020
:showoff:
I am in the Closed Beta.
Haven't tried yet, downloading 90gb of stuff takes a while.
Very interested to hear your feedback. :cool:
It looks like it will be the greatest simulator ever made.
https://youtu.be/Y2fT3l6PpB0
Quote from: FunkMonk on August 06, 2020, 03:16:02 PM
It looks like it will be the greatest simulator ever made.
https://youtu.be/Y2fT3l6PpB0
*fap fap fap*
Quote from: Caliga on August 08, 2020, 02:19:30 PM
Quote from: FunkMonk on August 06, 2020, 03:16:02 PM
It looks like it will be the greatest simulator ever made.
https://youtu.be/Y2fT3l6PpB0
*fap fap fap*
You're a rotary wing man?
:cool:
My new rudder pedals are arriving this week. :ph34r:
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 09, 2020, 04:37:57 AM
My new rudder pedals are arriving this week. :ph34r:
What was wrong with your old rudder pedals?
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 09, 2020, 04:37:57 AM
My new rudder pedals are arriving this week. :ph34r:
Dude! :hug:
I have missed you man. Granted we don't have much in the way of UT sports to discuss these days :( :punk:
Quote from: Valmy on August 09, 2020, 07:27:41 PM
Dude! :hug:
I have missed you man. Granted we don't have much in the way of UT sports to discuss these days :( :punk:
:hug:
Hey speaking of Horns sports and FS2020, some Youtube type took a spin over Austin, along with some other places. I posted it over on the board formerly known as the shag, but check it out:
https://youtu.be/kavLImNPL_8?t=1128
The 3x logos are on the old godzillatron at DKR, and I *think* you can kinda spot the one at the 50, but he didn't really keep going to see the whole field all that well. I'm planning on trying to land (aka crashing) on it on day one, right after the kamikazi flight into my house.
E:
Quote from: grumbler on August 09, 2020, 12:11:26 PM
What was wrong with your old rudder pedals?
They didn't exist, so that needed to be remedied. I'm also interested in seeing if various displays/panels can be moved to a different screen. If so, I'm going to see if I can get Duet working with a couple of tablets so I can actually press buttons vs clicking on them. Total nerd shit.
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
Quote from: Caliga on August 11, 2020, 07:54:59 AM
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
I am hoping I can run in it High in 1080p. If not that'll be a problem, there's a big difference between Medium and High looks based on Youtube, but little between High and Ultra.
But yeah I am in the same boat I guess. I bought an Nvidia 1660 some months ago and it has been excellent. Once it stops being excellent, or I decide I cannot live without 4K gaming anymore, I'll just replace the entire box (salvaging the SSDs only), as my CPU (6600K) is rather old.
Yeah, my current system is built around a Haswell-era processor (i7-4770K).
Roswell era? Vacuum tubes and stuff?
Quote from: The Brain on August 11, 2020, 08:21:43 AM
Roswell era? Vacuum tubes and stuff?
Bro aliens don't use vacuum tubes!
Quote from: Caliga on August 11, 2020, 07:54:59 AM
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
If you do, let me know what you decide on. My current rig is a dupe of your 2013 build, and has been terrific all this time. I'm thinking of getting a new rig and wouldn;t mind leaning on your expertise once again.
Quote from: Caliga on August 11, 2020, 07:54:59 AM
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
Might want to wait at least a few weeks. Nvidia is launching the 3000 series next month, and I think I saw something about the AMD Big Navi cards coming in October.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 11, 2020, 05:30:18 PM
Quote from: Caliga on August 11, 2020, 07:54:59 AM
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
Might want to wait at least a few weeks. Nvidia is launching the 3000 series next month, and I think I saw something about the AMD Big Navi cards coming in October.
Yep, this
The NDA is pretty tight.
I have a Ryzen 5 2600x with a 1660ti and I'm running on high at 1080p with a solid 60 fps.
You can move interface windows outside of the game "window" to a different monitor.
Quote from: Grey Fox on August 11, 2020, 08:58:36 PM
The NDA is pretty tight.
I have a Ryzen 5 2600x with a 1660ti and I'm running on high at 1080p with a solid 60 fps.
You can move interface windows outside of the game "window" to a different monitor.
:w00t: Thanks for the info. That looks good for my setup that I run everything at 1080 on: Ryzen 5 3600X, 16GB ddr3, Vega 64, all SSDs.
Good news about the windows. Gonna have to poke around with the various software, but Duet (https://www.duetdisplay.com/ (https://www.duetdisplay.com/)) has the slickest website and I'm a sucker for that, so...
Will this be available on the new Xbox coming in November? If not I might also follow the Languish builders again as I too am with a 2013 PC.
Quote from: Liep on August 11, 2020, 11:00:57 PM
Will this be available on the new Xbox coming in November? If not I might also follow the Languish builders again as I too am with a 2013 PC.
It'll be available on there at some point, don't know if that's on release or not. They're doing the play anywhere thing, where if you buy it from the Xbox/Microsoft store (aka not Steam), you can play it on both PC and console without having to buy another copy.
Quote from: grumbler on August 11, 2020, 04:17:41 PM
Quote from: Caliga on August 11, 2020, 07:54:59 AM
I am now eyeing new video cards for this. :hmm:
I am just wondering if I might as well go ahead and do a full core system upgrade (new CPU, mobo, RAM) while I'm at it.
If you do, let me know what you decide on. My current rig is a dupe of your 2013 build, and has been terrific all this time. I'm thinking of getting a new rig and wouldn;t mind leaning on your expertise once again.
Will do. :thumbsup:
Is there a reasonably priced control stick out there these days?
I have seen videos of people flying over Madrid and Barcelona and I'm in awe.
Pity you can't shoot down MiGs on this thing.
I've learned that the company that created the technology for creating the 3D environments from satellite images is Austrian, from Graz/Styria :o
https://blackshark.ai/
Quote from: Berkut on August 14, 2020, 02:04:39 PM
Is there a reasonably priced control stick out there these days?
Thrustmaster Airbus repro is 70$.
Quote from: celedhring on August 14, 2020, 02:13:57 PM
Pity you can't shoot down MiGs on this thing.
Yeah. If this were a military sim I'd jump with both feet. Especially something like Apache/Havoc.
LGR posted a few pictures from where he grew up on Twitter. This is Winston-Salem, NC in game:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfpkOkhXsAAAOJN?format=jpg&name=medium)
From a similar angle IRL:
(https://visitwinstonsalem.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Winston-Salem-768x433.jpg)
Saw some footage of Istanbul that looked absolutely dreadful. High-rises in between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, Topkapi turned into office buildings. The AI definitely doesn't get it all right.
Quote from: Maladict on August 17, 2020, 05:36:46 PM
Saw some footage of Istanbul that looked absolutely dreadful. High-rises in between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, Topkapi turned into office buildings. The AI definitely doesn't get it all right.
It's already incorporating Erdogan's building program.
Ok so I could find my home in Hungary, sort of. :D
Actually flying in from afar it was excellent, I could easily identify parts of the town the road going in etc.
The houses looked nothing like the real ones from up close but you could see the that the game did use actual data to try and guess them,
It was worse with my wife's old home. It is in the middle of a mid-size Polish city right next to a big and pretty church. The church ended up being flat in th game :D so it took as a while to find the spot of her home.
I decided to put off getting this until a few patches have come out AND I can, at the very least, get around to upgrading my video card, if not CPU/mobo/RAM.
Quote from: Caliga on August 18, 2020, 07:40:23 AM
I decided to put off getting this until a few patches have come out AND I can, at the very least, get around to upgrading my video card, if not CPU/mobo/RAM.
I have an intel 6600K (not overclocked) CPU, 16GB RAM (IIRC) a Geforce 1660, and the game is on an SSD.
It has no trouble running on High, EXCEPT so far in the greater London area where the first minute or so was quite choppy. Once it was done loading whatever it was loading it seemed fine. Absolutely no problem handling the less urban-filled areas though.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 17, 2020, 09:14:45 PM
Quote from: Maladict on August 17, 2020, 05:36:46 PM
Saw some footage of Istanbul that looked absolutely dreadful. High-rises in between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, Topkapi turned into office buildings. The AI definitely doesn't get it all right.
It's already incorporating Erdogan's building program.
Next it'll be Speer's.
Behold, Buckingham Palace!
https://twitter.com/olimould/status/1295636051017465856?s=20
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfsFs8lXsAodxaC?format=png&name=900x900)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-53811956
He shouldn't be flying that close to it anyway. That is verboten :mad:
Btw, RPS has a list of the 340 or so cities that use photgrammetry for extra realism:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/18/all-341-photorealistic-cities-in-microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/
Quote from: Syt on August 18, 2020, 11:52:12 AM
Btw, RPS has a list of the 340 or so cities that use photgrammetry for extra realism:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/18/all-341-photorealistic-cities-in-microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/
Yeah I have some friends from Dallas who are fairly salty about this:
QuoteAmarillo
Austin
Brownsville
Corpus Christi
El Paso
Fort Worth
Galveston
Houston
Kingwood
Laredo
Longview
Lubbock
McAllen
Midland
San Antonio
The Woodlands
:D
So much for dream of crashing into that big red pegasus sign. :(
The important thing is that Oxnard is there in its fully Jaronesque glory.
Also, there's already 3rd party add ons, because of course there are: https://orbxdirect.com/category/europe/msfs
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 18, 2020, 12:02:29 PM
Yeah I have some friends from Dallas who are fairly salty about this:
Ok but compared to the UK they need to get on the complaint queue
Quote
United Kingdom:
Portsmouth
Southampton
Is this a flight sim or a fleet sim?
Quote from: Syt on August 18, 2020, 11:52:12 AM
Btw, RPS has a list of the 340 or so cities that use photgrammetry for extra realism:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/18/all-341-photorealistic-cities-in-microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/
Louisville. :cool:
Maybe my: house is in there.
Ok I am hitting more lagging with High settings than I am happy with. Must customise graphics settings. :(
Does it have the same theme song as that last MS Flight Simulator (FSX I guess it was?) I liked that song. :)
Quote from: Caliga on August 18, 2020, 12:42:21 PM
Does it have the same theme song as that last MS Flight Simulator (FSX I guess it was?) I liked that song. :)
It has a pleasant but about 20 seconds long menu music looping.
Quote from: Caliga on August 18, 2020, 12:42:21 PM
Does it have the same theme song as that last MS Flight Simulator (FSX I guess it was?) I liked that song. :)
There are three different theme songs you can choose from: Color 1, Color 2, and Legacy, which is probably what you're looking for. I haven't played any of the other ones in so long that I can't remember if it's from FSX or something even older though.
E: Heh. I can see my parking spot at work. It isn't numbered, but the lines are there.
So, I've given this a spin. It runs quite smoothly on Ultra on my old (coming on 4 years) GTX1080 with 8GB (at least in nice weather :P ) in 1080p.
My first little spin was in the area where I grew up. From a few hundred feet up it looked very convincing, and pausing over areas I grew up I could easily recognize streets and major buildings. The illusion was quite convincing. Obviously, once you go down and realize the town church is now a block of flats it breaks down a bit. :P Still, very impressed. The whole rural landscape looked very nice, with the fields and occasional small village or farm, with cities dotted in between. I'm kind of keen on checking out Kiel and Hamburg as they're supposed to be using better real life data according to the list I linked.
My flight over Vienna was less amazing. It gets the layout and shape of buildings and terrain, also very often the height, but pretty much no landmark looked like it should, with the few areas of high rises being especially noticeable, not to mention parliament, Imperial palace, Schönbrunn Castle, the museums etc.
A few comparison shots vs Google maps. Wewelsfleth and Glückstadt are small towns near/on the Elbe river. The Vienna shot had me confused at first, because the big read complex looked weird from afar, but coming closer I realized it's the Karl Marx public housing complex.
(https://i.postimg.cc/BSrXrdpb/2020-08-18-20-40-40-Window.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FvDpMG0Z/msf1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5Nn92GBw/2020-08-18-20-47-33-Window.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/hvmxBnzb/msf2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jdsdKK7x/2020-08-18-21-02-04-Window.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wqTVtsYL/msf3.jpg)
Thank god they put Santa Cruz in this.
I wonder if they even have teeny little Pacific atolls in the game. I'd like to land on an exposed reef on some random island. :)
Amelia won't be there.
Quote from: Tonitrus on August 18, 2020, 03:41:40 PM
Amelia won't be there.
:lmfao:
You got my little joke.
Amy Adams was so fucking hot in that movie.
No photogrammetric Washington DC...
Insta review: 5/10 overhyped garbage will not buy :ultra:
Maybe it's algorithm will automatically draw the White House as a Trump casino.
Quote from: Tonitrus on August 18, 2020, 04:29:26 PM
Maybe it's algorithm will automatically draw the White House as a Trump casino.
Washington will be drawn in as Biff Tannen's Hill Valley.
It looks like lots of people on Steam are bitching about buying the game thru Steam.
My boyz in Euroland... how did you buy it? Microsoft Store?
Here you go, Val:
(https://i.imgur.com/UKxEnWH.jpg)
:punk:
Hell yeah.
Revised review: 9/10 would buy again.
I crashed into Godzillatron trying to land on it :lol:
Couldn't pull off the badass slip to get down there. Also, Disch-Falk has a building in center field.
E: Damn they've got high school stadiums in San Antonio that are modeled. Flew over Central Catholic by accident, then checked out Alamo Stadium (a school district uses it now, but it's where the Riders, in the WLAF, played), and am now over UIWs campus. This photogrammetry stuff is pretty cool. UIWs tennis courts look like they're draped over the nets though, which is odd. They've even got the Southland Conference stuff on their field.
Whataburgers are easy to spot.
Quote from: Caliga on August 18, 2020, 05:36:22 PM
It looks like lots of people on Steam are bitching about buying the game thru Steam.
My boyz in Euroland... how did you buy it? Microsoft Store?
Yes.
The game is not friendly to alt-tabbing I think. I was alt-tabbing out of it heavily yesterday evening. Ended up lagging even on Medium, I was starting to despair. Restarting the game (well the whole PC just in case) solved it though and I was back to playing smoothly on High.
Flying low over downtown Tokyo was pushing it, the FPS could not be great but it was smooth enough to be enjoyable.
Quote from: Tamas on August 19, 2020, 03:01:24 AM
The game is not friendly to alt-tabbing I think. I was alt-tabbing out of it heavily yesterday evening. Ended up lagging even on Medium, I was starting to despair. Restarting the game (well the whole PC just in case) solved it though and I was back to playing smoothly on High.
Flying low over downtown Tokyo was pushing it, the FPS could not be great but it was smooth enough to be enjoyable.
Ran fine for me, I did a lot of switching to Google maps on my second screen or to a browser on main.
I always liked taking small planes on a long distance journey via small towns/airports for sightseeing purposes (and listening to audio books :P ).
Currently thinking of flying along the Mediterranean coast line, or follow the Nile south and on to the Cape. Or maybe a South American trek down the Andes, and up Patagonia and the Amazon rainforest into the Carribean.
This guy has a cool idea: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1V5K4gS-16ZePTfHg9c5BUC4JzLzxcAFn&shorturl=1&ll=55.31509409667371%2C-58.70572085455868&z=5
I'm doing a hybrid version of that, at least until I get bored and go somewhere else, in the XCub instead of the 172. VORing around in Canada at the moment on my way to some place called Roberval. Get some gas there, then fly up to Iqaluit before the hop to Greenland. I like the avionics in the XCub. That Youtube dude Trent Palmer has this in his Kitfox.
Hah, that's cool thanks.
That seems a bit excessive :D
Oh, flying along small airports in Russia and Inner Asia could also be cool.
I couldn't control myself so I bought it last night (via Microsoft Store). I was surprised at how fast it downloaded and installed... I was watching the Democratic Convention and figured I wouldn't get to check it out till morning, but right after Jill Biden's speech I went into my office to check my PC and it was done. :showoff:
So... um... wow. Yeah, I am going to upgrade my video card, but with my current hardware it actually runs pretty well on fairly high gfx settings.
I flew a Cessna Skyhawk from Muhammad Ali/Lou International to Bowman Field, a small civil aviation field close to my house. Louisville, even at night, was instantly and immediately recognizable. I clearly could make out Kaden Tower, which is a local architectural landmark right by Bowman Field, and it looked pretty much exactly like I would expect it to IRL at about 1,500 feet. I circled around for the approach to Bowman and also was amazed to easily recognize a building I used to work in.
Hadn't played a flightsim for years, was only using keyboard and mouse, and didn't bother to learn which keys were mapped to rudders and flaps... so my landing wasn't exactly the best, but I managed to not kill myself and the plane wasn't destroyed on impact. :)
Quote from: Syt on August 18, 2020, 11:52:12 AM
Btw, RPS has a list of the 340 or so cities that use photgrammetry for extra realism:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/18/all-341-photorealistic-cities-in-microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/
About 300 or so of those are in North America :rolleyes:
Seems like an odd thing to roll one's eyes at.
UK's list is odd. Portsmouth and Southampton?
And they forgot Laramie, Wyoming.
Way to go, Microsoft, forgetting Meth War Memorial Stadium :rolleyes:
I fucked around with it some more at lunch. I've been flying in real world conditions and it's daytime here and clear skies, so I could really see the scenery this time. I flew again from Louisville International to Bowman, drove around the tarmac for a little bit trying to find the automated taxi guidance, failed to do so, then took off and attempted to buzz my house. I didn't quite see it but I definitely flew over my subdivision, and could clearly make out the Kroger down the street (even saw the 'Kroger' logo on it). Then I crossed the Ohio and landed at Clark Regional Airport in Indiana, all the while ignoring and actively disobeying ATC. :)
Stuttgart airport is apparently not in the game, just trees there. Probably because it doubles as a US military airfield.
(https://i.redd.it/lfiwdq6gxth51.png)
I have no time to playyyyy. :(
There's a hurricane off the coast of Mexico if any of you want to fly a 152 into it.
E: The west coast of Mexico, that is.
Quote from: Grey Fox on August 19, 2020, 12:21:09 PM
I have no time to playyyyy. :(
I don't have a whole lot either, right now.... too much work. It's only due to the remote working stuff that I could mess around with it at lunch on my gaming PC.
Some amusing glitches: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/19/microsoft-flight-simulators-terrain-glitches-are-excellent-places-to-visit/
Tbf, a lot of them are only noticeable from up close, and I expect them to fine tune the AI over the next weeks/months.
HMS Belfast has sunk :(
(https://preview.redd.it/wnktjer1kte51.png?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=b59a5d5349895b771dea32109a78d22dbcaedb60)
After seeing the London underwater bridges I was surprised that the Danube bridges in Vienna were all fine :lol:
Change of plans: before I bother upgrading my vid card or system in general, I'm getting better flight controls. Playing with the keyboard and mouse SUCKS. :mad:
The problem is, predictably, all of the PC yokes are sold out now. :cry:
:face:
You should have said something on Tuesday. I had 2, bought by mistake, returned 1.
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN
What yoke did you buy?
If you have a spare controller it could work well. I plugged in a USB Xbox controller and it works fine after I adjusted the axis sensitivities.
Quote from: FunkMonk on August 21, 2020, 11:23:40 AM
If you have a spare controller it could work well. I plugged in a USB Xbox controller and it works fine after I adjusted the axis sensitivities.
No, not realistic enough. :sleep:
I might get this...but I leaning towards holding out for the VR support, and take my first dip into that pool.
Quote from: Caliga on August 21, 2020, 08:35:44 AM
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN
What yoke did you buy?
https://www.thrustmaster.com/en_US/products/tca-sidestick-airbus-edition
(https://www.thrustmaster.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/media/product/tcasidestickairbusedition.jpg)
Ah, that's ok, I don't want one of those. I want a yoke set, not a joystick.
Don't forget pedals if you get a yoke. No Rudder control on Yokes.
Quote from: Grey Fox on August 21, 2020, 03:02:54 PM
Don't forget pedals if you get a yoke. No Rudder control on Yokes.
Yeah I know, I was actually just reading about that.
The Hump at 10,000ft :ph34r:
(https://i.imgur.com/cnOPZDY.jpg)
Followed that river up ahead and barely scraped over a mountain, then turned right again to get going back in the right direction. Will probably go right through that "V" and see whats on the other side of that little mountain. Also, ice.
(https://i.imgur.com/qicWto0.jpg)
Yeah...
(https://i.imgur.com/jXRx6gv.jpg)
Cleared that with dude yelling "500" at me and damn near stalling at full power. A C-47 would have just slammed into it. I had dive down the other side to keep the speed up.
Anyhow, if I make it and end up taking more screenshots, I'll link the imgur album.
Okay one more. I think I found a way through in the correct direction there on the far right:
(https://i.imgur.com/q8MNqJr.jpg)
Nope, didn't make it that time. Took a turn into the wrong valley and couldn't climb out of it. That shit is pretty cool to fly in though. Probably not so much when it's real and it's like 1943 and everything sucks. Crashed in the vicinity of ZPLJ (Sanyi). The route is VECA (Chabua) to ZPPP (Kunming).
Last one I took was just before I picked a valley:
(https://i.imgur.com/hTw73cJ.jpg)
The warning light is the prop RPMs being maxed out and the throttle being firewalled, but torque isn't all the way up as you can see.
Hey there's some friends feature that I just noticed. Want to friend each other? :)
So, has anyone tried to fly a Cessna from Germany via Iceland and land in Red Square yet? :P
(https://i.redd.it/p7een32gri151.jpg)
(https://icds.ee/wp-content/uploads/2018/341.jpg)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Rust
Quotehttp://Rust, aged 18, was an inexperienced pilot, with about 50 hours of flying experience at the time of his flight. On 13 May 1987, Rust left Uetersen near Hamburg and his home town Wedel in his rented Reims Cessna F172P D-ECJB, which was modified by removing some of the seats and replacing them with auxiliary fuel tanks. He spent the next two weeks travelling across northern Europe, visiting the Faroe islands, spending a week in Iceland, and then visiting Bergen on his way back. He was later quoted as saying that he had the idea of attempting to reach Moscow even before the departure, and he saw the trip to Iceland (where he visited Hofdi House, the site of unsuccessful talks between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1986) as a way to test his piloting skills.[1]
On 28 May 1987, Rust refuelled at Helsinki-Malmi Airport. He told air traffic control that he was going to Stockholm, and took off at 12:21. Immediately after his final communication with traffic control, he turned his plane to the east near Nummela. Air traffic controllers tried to contact him as he was moving around the busy Helsinki–Moscow route, but Rust turned off all his communications equipment.[1][3]
Rust disappeared from the Finnish air traffic radar near Espoo.[1] Control personnel presumed an emergency and a rescue effort was organized, including a Finnish Border Guard patrol boat. They found an oil patch near Sipoo where Rust had disappeared from radar observation, and conducted an underwater search but did not find anything.
Rust crossed the Baltic coastline over Estonia and turned towards Moscow. At 14:29 he appeared on Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) radar and, after failure to reply to an IFF signal, was assigned combat number 8255. Three SAM battalions of 54th Air Defence Corps tracked him for some time, but failed to obtain permission to launch missiles at him.[4] All air defences were brought to readiness and two interceptors were sent to investigate. At 14:48, near Gdov, MiG-23 pilot Senior Lieutenant A. Puchnin observed a white sport plane similar to a Yakovlev Yak-12 and asked for permission to engage, but was denied.[1][5]
The fighters lost contact with Rust soon after this. While they were being directed back to him, he disappeared from radar near Staraya Russa. West German magazine Bunte speculated that he might have landed there for some time, noting that he changed his clothes during his flight and that he took too much time to fly to Moscow considering his plane's speed and the weather conditions.
Air defence re-established contact with Rust's plane several times but confusion followed all of these events. The PVO system had shortly before been divided into several districts, which simplified management but created additional overhead for tracking officers at the districts' borders. The local air regiment near Pskov was on maneuvers and, due to inexperienced pilots' tendency to forget correct IFF designator settings, local control officers assigned all traffic in the area friendly status, including Rust.[1]
Near Torzhok there was a similar situation, as increased air traffic was created by a rescue effort for an air crash the previous day. Rust, flying a slow propeller-driven aircraft, was confused with one of the helicopters taking part in the rescue. He was spotted several more times and given false friendly recognition twice. Rust was considered as a domestic training plane defying regulations, and was assigned the least priority by air defense.[1]
Around 19:00, Rust appeared above Moscow. He had initially intended to land in the Kremlin, but he reasoned that landing inside, hidden by the Kremlin walls, would have allowed the KGB to arrest him and deny the incident. Therefore, he changed his landing spot to Red Square.[1] Heavy pedestrian traffic did not allow him to land there either, so after circling about the square one more time, he was able to land on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge by St. Basil's Cathedral. A later inquiry found that trolleybus wires normally strung over the bridge—which would have prevented his landing there—had been removed for maintenance that morning, and were replaced the next day.[1] After taxiing past the cathedral, he stopped about 100 metres (330 ft) from the square, where he was greeted by curious passersby and asked for autographs. When asked where he was from, he replied "Germany" making the bystanders think he was from East Germany; but when he said West Germany, they were surprised.[6] A British doctor videotaped Rust circling over Red Square and landing on the bridge.[6] Rust was arrested two hours later.[7]
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Flugroute_von_Mathias_Rust.svg/1280px-Flugroute_von_Mathias_Rust.svg.png)
I remember that incident (god we're old). Amazing that he wasn't shot down.
Yeah, based on that Wiki article, he got VERY lucky. :D
I remember meeting a guy who went to school with him. Apparently he was always a bit weird.
Just completed the first leg of the Nevada challenge. Damn this game is pretty.
Took a trip from Vienna to Venice. The game can look quite nice:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgDUSolXsAIm1PN?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgDUSorX0AADI5y?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgDUSotWkAETrn6?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgDUSowWoAAz8Z9?format=jpg&name=large)
Though there were some rough textures when crossing the mountains, and some noticeable seams between ground textures of better and lower quality.
Though some bits looked quite rough:
(https://i.postimg.cc/8DHHgYF4/2020-08-22-22-22-48-Greenshot.jpg)
Vs. Google Maps:
(https://i.postimg.cc/prmNc7P3/fail.jpg)
However, I did have some connection issues during the flight, so that might have affected things.
Quote from: Caliga on August 22, 2020, 08:02:44 AM
Hey there's some friends feature that I just noticed. Want to friend each other? :)
Yes, Arth0is is the name you need, I think.
If you haven't tried them yet, the bush trips are cool. If you don't like the VFR map provided, or want something with a little more detail to supplement it, just fire up Bing Maps on a tablet and switch it to aerial view.
E: Tamas is doing one, I see.
I keep being gobsmacked by the terrain generation in this game. A far cry from the often generic textures in FSX.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgG-DwSXYAEXK-P?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgG-F0cXYAADAGS?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgG-HMCWsAAc5Py?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgG-Ic4WoAEuBAe?format=jpg&name=large)
I've just started with FSX and seeing all of these screenshots make me want to play FS2020. Unfortunately, there's no way in hell it will run on my laptop with an integrated graphics processor. Maybe I'll get an X Box One when it's released on that, I would like a media center anyway.
If you want to get inspired to do bush pilot shenanigans, read Flying Asses through Africa, which is about a bush pilot in southern Africa who mostly flew tourists to safari campgrounds, and Flying the Knife Edge, which is about a Papua New Guinea bush pilot.
Was on my way from Genoa to Rome, and the game crashed half way through. :(
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 18, 2020, 02:04:09 PM
There are three different theme songs you can choose from: Color 1, Color 2, and Legacy, which is probably what you're looking for.
'Legacy' was indeed the theme song I was looking for. Thanks. :thumbsup:
I took a trip around Madeira ... the game doesn't handle the extreme terrain well. :D Along the steep coastal cliffs, many textures are blurred. A lot of hotels are now industrial/warehouse buildings. And while there's no rivers on Madeira, because all precipitation is funneled into canals ("leavadas"), the game interprets the canals as rivers/creeks that wind their way around mountains. :lol:
Also, there's trees on the highest peaks of the island, even though they should be barren, with some highland-style heather below it before everything becomes forest again.
You guys seem to focus a lot on graphics. How is the actual sim part?
Quote from: The Brain on August 23, 2020, 02:54:07 PM
You guys seem to focus a lot on graphics. How is the actual sim part?
:huh:
Quote from: Syt on August 23, 2020, 02:57:46 PM
Quote from: The Brain on August 23, 2020, 02:54:07 PM
You guys seem to focus a lot on graphics. How is the actual sim part?
:huh:
What, did I miss something?
Quote from: The Brain on August 23, 2020, 02:54:07 PM
You guys seem to focus a lot on graphics. How is the actual sim part?
To me the controls 'feel' realistic. But I've only flown an actual plane several times so I'm probably not the best person to answer.
Just finished the Nevada bush challenge. Man, that's a lot of flying around, but definitely a good time. I did the first Balkan leg and it wasn't as cool. Maybe if they put you in a 172 that didn't have all the glass cockpit and nav stuff, it would be better, but that isn't a standard edition plane for whatever weird reason.
E: Yeah, the G1000 172 is just too....high class?...for a "bush trip." Right now, it's basically flying itself to the next destination, 3700ft, 0 trim, mix 50%, 2301 RPM = 109kt TAS, 10gph fuel flow, and steady VS. I could just press the autopilot button and it would literally fly itself, but at least this way I can poke the controls every once in a while to follow this highway. Cessna made/makes a fantastic plane that's really stable and easy to fly, but it's just too civilized for me with these missions heh. I want to take the Shock Ultra on one of these bush trips. That thing is badass. This game has made me a Zlin fanboy for sure.
I've been flying the Extra for its glass canopy mostly, and it's been easy to handle. I usually pick routes A to B and then a low altitude flight path (and request 8000 ft cruising alt after take off - is there a way to set it before launch?) so that it's more than just flying in a straight line. Genoa airport made me do a pretty big waiting circle.
Check out the Robin aerobatic trainer too if you like the Extra. I forget the name, but it's the taildragger in red/white/blue. It's not as awesome, of course, because Extras are incredible, but it's still fun and it's got the old school dials and such.
I don't think there's a way to set starting altitudes, but if you don't want to go low altitude IFR, you can do VFR with waypoints by picking a starting point and destination, then clicking on the map (or adding coordinates from Bing/Google Maps by copying and pasting them into the search box) and clicking Add.
Iirc you can edit your cruising altitude pre-flight if you click on the Navlog button when setting up the flight.
Quote from: Syt on August 22, 2020, 08:34:41 AM
Yeah, based on that Wiki article, he got VERY lucky. :D
I remember meeting a guy who went to school with him. Apparently he was always a bit weird.
Yeah, he was definitely a very weird guy.
He later nearly murdered some girl for rejecting him. Given the West German legal system, that landed him in jail for like, a year.
This is some good flying. If we ever need to do a trench run on the Death Star, I suggest hiring this guy:
https://vimeo.com/450941294
Took a leisurely flight from El Alamein to Sidi Barani via Mersa Matruh. It's about as flat as I'd imagine, some dry riverbeds and beach resorts notwithstanding. :lol:
Kind of makes you wonder if WW2 pilots struggled with their navigation during the Western Desert Campaign.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8CZT2VQC/2020-08-24-20-01-45-Greenshot.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/RFqv9b4L/2020-08-24-20-32-09-Greenshot.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MZMjm9VB/2020-08-24-21-32-07-Greenshot.jpg)
Some textures were ... well you could tell where the seams were. :lol:
(https://i.postimg.cc/nrzjy1wy/2020-08-24-20-36-58-Greenshot.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/J76Bb9sM/2020-08-24-21-25-22-Greenshot.jpg)
I do love that the sea is not just a featureless surface but has some realistic shading with some "flatter" and some "darker" bits. :)
Quote from: Syt on August 24, 2020, 11:14:32 AM
This is some good flying. If we ever need to do a trench run on the Death Star, I suggest hiring this guy:
https://vimeo.com/450941294
Meh - not a single womp rat bullseyed.
I typed up most of the airport/strip codes for the Balkans and Patagonia bush trips if you want to, for example, take an Extra or 747 on one:
Balkans
Rijeka LDRI
Otocac LDRO
Zemunik LDZD
Kastela LDSP
Sinj LDSS
Mostar LQMO
Cilipi LDDU
Tivat LYTV
Tirana LATI
Aeroporti I Mifoit <---can't find this one
Ioannis Kapodistrias Int. LGKR
Aktion AB LGPZ
Missolonghi Airport LGMS
Kopaida Dimitra LGAK
Syros LGSO
Naxos LGNX
Santorini LGSR
Patagonia
Los Cerros Z00T
Tolhuin Lago Fagano Airport SAWL
Ushuaia Est Aeronaval SAWO
Yendegaia Airport SCNY
Azopardo Airport SCAZ
Almirante Schroeders SCDW
Marco Davison Bascur Airport SCID
Teniente Julio Gallardo SCNT
El Calafate SAWC
Lago Viedma Airstrip SCDV
Laguna Redonda Airport SCIO
Villa O'Higgins SCOH
Aerodromo Entrada Mayer SCEY
Lago Brown Airstrip SCBR
Cochrane SCHR
You can use skyvector.com to make your own waypoints outside of the game, although some of them might not show up in that if they're not in use or whatever.
Quote from: celedhring on August 22, 2020, 08:32:56 AM
I remember that incident (god we're old). Amazing that he wasn't shot down.
It was probably one of those situations where someone acts so weird and crazy that people who are unprepared for that insanity are just lost as to what to do, and therefore extreme stupidity comes off looking like an act of genius.
Okay the Icon is pretty great except the outside engine noise. Rotax engines don't sound like this on any of the others in this game that have them (E: At least the ones I've tried. Haven't jumped in the Virus or CT yet). Are A5s uniquely...buzzy? I've never heard one in real life.
Anyway, flew VFR from Arlington > Waco > Fredericksburg > San Antonio > Rockport > some place on the coast > some other place on the coast near Brownsville while firing off emails today. Good times.
WELP my GFX card is crapping out so I had to blow off my own post about waiting and ordered some juiced EVGA 2070 Super "XC Ultra Gaming." Should be here Monday, but meanwhile I've had to downclock and undervolt the Vega 64 to something that runs more like a 1060 or RX 480 or so to prevent continuous crashing. Lame.
It's doing this on every game that even kind of pushes it. I think it might be overheating, but I can't get the stupid microscopic screws off due to the loctite that they apparently slathered all over them so I can check the thermal compound on the chip. Hard to pin it down though because it's just an instantaneous crash that blanks the screens, cranks the fan up to 100%, and requires a full reboot. No logs or error messages. While I was at it, I ordered another 16GBs of RAM for a total of 32, because why not?
E: This one: https://www.newegg.com/evga-geforce-rtx-2070-super-08g-p4-3173-kr/p/N82E16814487453 1800mhz boost clock sounds good and it has a gigantic heat sink on it. Also has that USB-C plug on there, which is good for VR from what I understand.
Anyone here tried storm chasing?
Apparently quite a fad with the incoming hurricane.
Yeah I tried it with both the one that just hit the Gulf Coast and the one that was right off Baja a couple weeks ro whatever ago. Never made it to the eye of either one, and the one in the Pacific bugged out and left me with clear skies.
Someone on Reddit came across the NOAA P-3 while doing it with Live Traffic on.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 28, 2020, 08:08:19 AM
Someone on Reddit came across the NOAA P-3 while doing it with Live Traffic on.
Awesome. :cool:
Quote from: Tyr on August 28, 2020, 04:04:45 AM
Anyone here tried storm chasing?
Apparently quite a fad with the incoming hurricane.
Can you go see Laura or are these computer generated random storms?
Quote from: Valmy on August 28, 2020, 08:24:32 AM
Can you go see Laura or are these computer generated random storms?
They're the actual thing, as long as Live Weather is on and working.
For those of us with absolute scrubcore pity machines, this guy goes over some Windows and graphics tweaks that seem pretty useful to increase your FPS in this FPS-destroying game.
https://youtu.be/CKVhyOZaUcU
Took a flight from Veracruz to Villa Hermosa. I gladly admit I'm into this game mostly for the sightseeing and visuals. :P
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgnQYeQWsAALu5W?format=jpg&name=medium)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgnQgeHXsAAZg6v?format=jpg&name=medium)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgnQjetXkAQSrL9?format=jpg&name=medium)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgnQnBjXkAAuIjh?format=jpg&name=medium)
How are the actual flight mechanics and such as a simulation along with the aircraft controls?
Could this be used a poor mans trainer for actually learning how to get a private pilots license?
Quote from: Berkut on August 30, 2020, 07:49:15 AM
How are the actual flight mechanics and such as a simulation along with the aircraft controls?
Could this be used a poor mans trainer for actually learning how to get a private pilots license?
The previous version of MS Flight Simulator (FSX) is apparently really good and is used by actual pilots for practice (though with some of the many add-ons, I think), though I doubt its sufficient for getting a license. I've been going through it the past few days following this guys videos (first part here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w13N40mAsPg) and it helps with teaching the basic concepts.
I think I am supposed to fly under 100% realism but with some aids. What is suspect is that I do not have any aids for landing (apart from the virtual approach line displayed) and my planes suspiciously survive my terrible landings
It's good for giving you an idea of procedures and stuff, and you could probably use it for generally learning the area before actually going there, but it's not like really doing it. Not *really.* There's a lack of feedback that makes some things more difficult IMO too, like trimming it (this is very irritating for me in game) and actual flying parts like the time to rotate or that last...100ish feet before you touch down. Then again, you CAN navigate from another city to fly a 747 into your house like a meteor and still be a-okay, so the trim thing is easy to get over.
E: To be clear, I've only flown the 152 and 172 IRL, so that's what I'm going by.
I finally went back to DKR to land on it and discovered a....rather distracting graphical bug:
(https://i.imgur.com/ymhVzbl.jpg)
The turf is hovering over the field. I also forgot to pull back on the stick while mashing the brakes, so the grounds crew has a little extra work to do.
The tall grass adds a a new element of strategy to the game: stealth and ambush. And it also camouflages you from kamikaze aircraft ;)
Flew from Villa Hermosa to Campeche today. I think I might slowly make my way along the cities of Sid Meier's Pirates. :P
Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 30, 2020, 02:01:36 PM
The tall grass adds a a new element of strategy to the game: stealth and ambush. And it also camouflages you from kamikaze aircraft ;)
:D Might slow the game down a little too much though. Linebackers trying to cut through the grass with machetes before the opposing RB expedition navigates their way to the correct endzone while making sure they don't run out of supplies along the way.
You guys fly in the Andes yet? ATC gets a little weird with all the altitude changes, but it looks cool at least:
(https://i.imgur.com/smoooUp.jpg)
There's a mountain under there..
Anyone tries flying up here?
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 01, 2020, 12:45:00 AM
Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on August 30, 2020, 02:01:36 PM
The tall grass adds a a new element of strategy to the game: stealth and ambush. And it also camouflages you from kamikaze aircraft ;)
:D Might slow the game down a little too much though. Linebackers trying to cut through the grass with machetes before the opposing RB expedition navigates their way to the correct endzone while making sure they don't run out of supplies along the way.
Add the rushers ambushing the pocket with blowguns and jungle football already sounds better than the real thing.
Quote from: katmai on September 01, 2020, 04:47:20 AM
Anyone tries flying up here?
It saddens me that you can never fly in a real airplane. :(
I put an MSI Geforce RTX 2070 (with 8 Gb of VRAM) in my system over the weekend. It makes a significant difference in FS, even though my system core is so old now. :showoff:
Quote from: Caliga on September 01, 2020, 07:34:04 AM
I put an MSI Geforce RTX 2070 (with 8 Gb of VRAM) in my system over the weekend. It makes a significant difference in FS, even though my system core is so old now. :showoff:
:cheers: Did the same thing yesterday. Pretty great not having to worry about my card nuking itself, and you're not kidding about the improvement. Now I just need a snazzy 49" widescreen to be able to see everything at once....
(https://www.dropbox.com/s/dgi87gr9h8uqu88/FS%20screenshot%201.jpg?dl=1)
Last night I buzzed my parents' neighborhood in Jersey in an Icon A5. Since it's amphibious, I also landed in the bay and started to taxi through the tidal creek to their house, but I crashed into a bridge on the way and destroyed the aircraft. :rolleyes: I know the bridge well IRL and I know the A5 would have had sufficient clearance to taxi right under it... oh well.
The only thing the simulator really had wrong on that flight was the ecosystem rendering it did... the tidal creeks are lined simply with sawgrass, but the game engine put a lot of slash pine (which does grow everywhere in that area, away from the marshes) in among the sawgrass in error. I also saw a few bald cypresses too, which do not grow in Jersey... can't find em any further north than southern Delaware. So I would imagine the ecosystem rendering groups coastal south Jersey in with North Carolina or something.
Bridges and such don't seem to work right yet. I tried to fly under a gigantic one in the Grand Canyon and crashed after hitting air when passing under it.
Also doinked off a parking lot cover at..Taos?...somewhere in Colorado/NM area. Anyway, instead of trying to go between that stuff and AI planes while taxiing, just clip the parked AI planes with your wing and give the structure a wide berth. I dunno, maybe it was only there. It was weird taxiing in a parking lot that has both cars and planes.
Yeah, I noticed that at an airport in Louisville... there were cars parked in the GA parking area.... I imagine some smaller airports might be cool with planes and cars sharing a parking area though?
I've been practicing navigation using VOR in FSX. Tricky at first, but I think I've gotten the hang of it.
QuoteThe only thing the simulator really had wrong on that flight was the ecosystem rendering it did... the tidal creeks are lined simply with sawgrass, but the game engine put a lot of slash pine (which does grow everywhere in that area, away from the marshes) in among the sawgrass in error. I also saw a few bald cypresses too, which do not grow in Jersey... can't find em any further north than southern Delaware. So I would imagine the ecosystem rendering groups coastal south Jersey in with North Carolina or something.
Still better than the previous version: in my flight in south Florida, all the trees looked like generic northwestern woodland.
Quote from: Caliga on September 04, 2020, 08:12:12 AM
Yeah, I noticed that at an airport in Louisville... there were cars parked in the GA parking area.... I imagine some smaller airports might be cool with planes and cars sharing a parking area though?
Squeezing in to the GA parking area with cars on one side and a Caravan on the other definitely spices things up a little, yeah. I wish I could remember which airport it was. It was one of the hand built ones, I believe.
On the topic of gfx cards, nvidia's 30-series is coming out this and next month.
https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-amperes-new-flagship-rtx-3080-costs-just-dollar699-launches-september-17/
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-nvidias-rtx-3080-rip-and-tear-the-2080-ti-at-4k-in-doom-eternal/
Apparently, the 3080 leaves the 2080 far behind - which is confusing, because the 3080 founder edition costs €719 on nvidia's website, compared to the RTX 2080 Ti which costs €1259. :hmm:
(The 3070 will be €519, the 3090 €1519). The 2nd PC Gamer link has a video comparing frame rates at 4K resolution for Doom Eternal, and the 3080 delivers 30-50% more frames, which is nothing to sneeze at.
My gaming PC is getting on in years - it'll be 4 years in November, and it's still running smoothly like on the first day, quiet, reliable, no hitches, and even though I occasionally checked what new systems would look like, I never felt much pressure to even upgrade my machine (and what I would get for equal money as my PC 4 years ago would not be much of an upgrade). However, with an affordable range of high end gfx cards, I might actually look into at least upgrading my PC and possibly making the jump to 4 K (though I'm quite happy with good ol' 1080p atm).
(https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uLjcThBPk9Zdym4rznZvek.jpg)
You can always get one of those new GFX cards and just crush it at 1080 for a while until you're ready to buy new monitors and all that. You might just be CPU/RAM limited instead of GPU.
E: "Might." You would be for most things, I'm p sure, since those 3000 series cards are massive overkill for 1080. Hell, I'm running in to that with a 2070 Super at 1080 right now, at least with this game. I haven't actually played anything else since it came out. :blush:
Quote from: Syt on September 04, 2020, 12:41:52 PM
My gaming PC is getting on in years - it'll be 4 years in November, and it's still running smoothly like on the first day, quiet, reliable, no hitches, and even though I occasionally checked what new systems would look like, I never felt much pressure to even upgrade my machine (and what I would get for equal money as my PC 4 years ago would not be much of an upgrade). However, with an affordable range of high end gfx cards, I might actually look into at least upgrading my PC and possibly making the jump to 4 K (though I'm quite happy with good ol' 1080p atm).
I signed up for Shadow (Blade) cloud service. It'll be December before they fill the subscription but I can report on results after that. I'm not keen on spending on another big plastic box.
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 06, 2020, 11:21:36 PM
I signed up for Shadow (Blade) cloud service. It'll be December before they fill the subscription but I can report on results after that. I'm not keen on spending on another big plastic box.
That looks interesting. Also seems almost impossible but I'm in if it works.
I must re-share this because it is literally what happened to my PC:
https://9gag.com/gag/agA7y1w?ref=android
My PC is 3 years old. I was planning an upgrade this year, but Covid has put that off. I might now wait until 2021 and try to get one of the new nVidias.
Are PCs like magic swords? Older is better?
Quote from: Liep on September 07, 2020, 03:12:02 AM
Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 06, 2020, 11:21:36 PM
I signed up for Shadow (Blade) cloud service. It'll be December before they fill the subscription but I can report on results after that. I'm not keen on spending on another big plastic box.
That looks interesting. Also seems almost impossible but I'm in if it works.
Microsoft is launching their cloud service in about a week but only for streaming X-box games, not PC (and thus not Flight Sim . . . yet).
Quote from: The Brain on September 07, 2020, 05:50:47 AM
Are PCs like magic swords? Older is better?
Everyone wants a vorpal blade.
So...if you're messing around with nvidia freestyle settings toward the end of an hour long flight, make sure you hit alt+f3, not alt+f4, to open them back up after looking around. :face:
Digital Foundry made a comparison video comparing RTX 2080 Ti performance vs the new (cheaper) 3080.
https://youtu.be/lCPi4-BP6sU
My quest to run the world's shittiest airline in OnAir is coming along nicely. Bought some high time ATR-72s for my AI pilots and am stuffing them with as many passengers and horrific cargo as possible on the longest flights possible. I'll be "upgrading" them to busted Dash-8s as soon as possible.
E: Although it seems crashy at the moment and won't let me load up my first flights. :hmm: There we go, all four up and going. Need to get another plane so I can have an extra available during the downtime required to remove first and business class seats.
Guy sims flight to Amsterdam while on flight to Amsterdam to compare RL and simulation. Apparently it's pretty close:
https://twitter.com/tha_rami/status/1333959506242523136
Microsoft released a huge patch today for FS2020 and I just did a short flight from Wilmington to Myrtle Beach in my default plane (Beech Bonanza). The plane handled WAY better and I was able to execute a perfect landing... prior to the patch the autopilot rocked the plane nonstop (it held course, it's just that the wing rocking was annoying as shit) and the controls overall felt better--for example, I throttled down to descent speed once I started to leave cruising altitude, and it actually descended at the proper rate, which wasn't happening before.
Also apparently the live weather model actually will draw snow on the ground where it's supposed to based on weather data, but of course I didn't see any of that given that I was in coastal Carolina.
Quote from: Caliga on December 22, 2020, 02:31:24 PM
Microsoft released a huge patch today for FS2020 and I just did a short flight from Wilmington to Myrtle Beach in my default plane (Beech Bonanza). The plane handled WAY better and I was able to execute a perfect landing...
So they dumbed it down to an arcade flyer?
:sleep:
I did a flight the other day from Fernandina Beach, FL to Grand Bahama. It was my first oceanic flight ever in any Flight Simulator. :blush:
Also because it was much longer than a typical flight for me, I took my Beech Bonanza up to maximum cruising altitude. At one point I was looking down at the controls for a while and when I panned back up I was like... why can't I see out the windshield? I then realized it had iced over, and looked out at the wings and they were covered in ice too. I guess maybe I should have been paying closer attention while flying through a storm front at high altitude. :lol:
Free UK & Ireland update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMlE9WWxdKg&ab_channel=Xbox
You still playing Syt?
Very rarely.
Yeah, same. I did a flight from Grand Bahama to Marsh Harbor since the one I posted about but that's it. I will probably be playing it a lot more once I build my new PC and get proper flight controls.
I've been playing FSX with a few scenery mods (not ORBX, unfortunately, because while it's beautiful, it requires an actual graphics card). I've been doing virtual flight training using this book (https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-Pilots-Training-ebook/dp/B00BOZGMXY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1) and have graduated from the Piper Cub to the Cessna 172. :)
I'm still figuring out how to stay aligned with the runway and fly a proper landing approach.
Quote from: Caliga on February 16, 2021, 05:29:23 PM
Yeah, same. I did a flight from Grand Bahama to Marsh Harbor since the one I posted about but that's it. I will probably be playing it a lot more once I build my new PC and get proper flight controls.
This weekend I flew from Marsh Harbour -> West Palm Beach -> Miami Opa-Locka -> South Bimini. When I came in off the ocean headed for West Palm I saw: FAKE NEWS central. :cool:
Oddly enough, we just found out a few minutes ago that my sister in law sailed from West Palm Beach to the Bahamas today. :wacko:
Quote from: Caliga on February 16, 2021, 05:29:23 PM
Yeah, same. I did a flight from Grand Bahama to Marsh Harbor since the one I posted about but that's it. I will probably be playing it a lot more once I build my new PC and get proper flight controls.
So with my new build, FS indeed runs way faster with much improved graphics. I am still using the same GPU, but putting it in a brand new PC with double the RAM makes a big difference. My plane is now parked on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.
I got a Honeycomb Alpha flight yoke yesterday. Thing is badass. Much, much easier to control the aircraft now. Now I just need a throttle quadrant. :nerd:
My virtual plane is now in Cayenne, French Guiana. Flying in that part of the world sucks due to a) terrible navaids and lighting, b) constant overcast/thunderstorm conditions due to being in the ITCZ, c) tricky VFR due to the ground being endless Amazonian rainforest, so few landmarks. :sleep:
Navaids? The Navajo plague?
Quote from: The Brain on June 30, 2021, 03:41:44 PM
Navaids? The Navajo plague?
Yeah, it's a big problem in the Guianas. :(
Quote from: The Brain on June 30, 2021, 03:41:44 PM
Navaids? The Navajo plague?
Actually, the Navajo plague is the Bubonic Plague (about half of the 6-8 people who contract the disease in the US in the average year are Navajo).
The more you know....
I finished flying down the north coast of Brazil to Natal (where it turns south) and then flew to Fernando de Noronha (small island a few hundred miles into the Atlantic). I checked the range on some different planes available in the simulator and decided to switch to a Daher TBM 930, a high-performance single engine turboprop, because it has the range--just barely--to fly across the Atlantic from there. In real life this would be a suicidal flight with only one engine, but this ain't real life, so this weekend I'm going to attempt to fly to Sierra Leone from Brazil. :)
https://youtu.be/x3NTfiW17QA (https://youtu.be/x3NTfiW17QA)
This is pretty cool....
He did a really good job there. It's funny to me, because I did that transatlantic flight this morning, and it took me two attempts. On the first, I just achieved my cruising altitude at 39,000 feet and I bumped the mixture lever on my throttle quadrant, which somehow dropped oil pressure to zero (the TBM 930 does not have a mixture control IRL so this lever would have no function) and of course that caused the engine to quit. I couldn't figure out any way to restart it and eventually the plane went into a full nose dive and crashed into the Atlantic. Since it's just a simulator I wasn't exactly panicking but man would that have been several minutes of terror IRL.
On my second attempt I picked a safer cruise altitude of 31,000 feet (FL390 is so high for that aircraft that an oxygen mask would be required IRL, but I was trying to conserve fuel and catch the jet stream) but at that altitude I had an extremely strong headwind the entire way, and barely had enough fuel... basically landed on fumes in Monrovia which I diverted to due to the winds, but I made it. :showoff: By far my longest flight ever in a flight sim... over six hours once you factor in taxiing and stuff.
Is this whole thing online with other players etc? Can you simulate being a passenger?
Quote from: The Brain on July 24, 2021, 04:48:01 PM
Is this whole thing online with other players etc? Can you simulate being a passenger?
Yeah, if you enable 'Live Traffic' (I think that's what the setting is called) if other people are playing and near you their aircraft will show up in the sim. One time I was flying from Miami to Bimini and another player decided to tail me the whole time... either that or he just happened to have planned the same route at the same time. He ended up flying parallel to me and I think he was trying to tip his wings but it was hard to tell.
The simulator also brings in real life traffic too... like at the end of the flight I took today, an Air France Airbus came in to Monrovia right after me and it was probably an actual real life flight landing at that time. I once followed an American Airlines flight into St. Thomas, which was pretty cool to watch.
You play this in real time?
Or once you get to cruising is there an accelerate time?
Quote from: Tyr on July 25, 2021, 07:31:22 AM
You play this in real time?
Or once you get to cruising is there an accelerate time?
There is an accelerate time feature but I don't use it. On long flights however, during the cruise phase once I have everything stable I often walk away from the PC and do other stuff, checking it periodically just in case. Like yesterday during that oceanic flight I did laundry, lifted weights, rode my Peloton, and some other chores while the simulator was running.
The next world update early September will be the DACH countries - Germany, Austria, Switzerland (it's based on the international international vehicle registration codes, D, A, CH, and Dach is also German for roof :P ).
Vienna is one of the cities redone with 3D photogrammetry :w00t:
Does this mean you can crash your plane into your own apartment?
Maybe
Wouldn't it be awesome if you could crash it into your own appartment with you in it... playing flight sim... crashing into your own appartment with you in it... playing flight sim....
Lord Jacob: What the hell am I looking at? When does THIS happen in the sim?
Col. Syt: NOW. You're looking at now, sir. Everything that happens now is happening now.
Lord Jacob: Go back to then!
Col. Syt: What?
Lord Jacob: THEN!
Col. Syt: I can't!
Lord Jacob: Why not?
Col. Syt: We passed it!
Lord Jacob: When?
Col. Syt: Just now!
Lord Jacob: When will then be now?
Col. Syt: SOON!
:lol:
Here's a good one, the bridge connecting the island of Fehmarn with the mainland in Schleswig-Holstein:
(https://assets2.rockpapershotgun.com/msfs-bridge.jpg/BROK/resize/1920x1920%3E/format/jpg/quality/80/msfs-bridge.jpg)
It's about 960 meters long:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Fehmarnsundbr%C3%BCcke_as_seen_from_Gro%C3%9Fenbroderf%C3%A4hre_20140817_1.jpg/1920px-Fehmarnsundbr%C3%BCcke_as_seen_from_Gro%C3%9Fenbroderf%C3%A4hre_20140817_1.jpg)
More details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fehmarn_Sound_Bridge
The reason this amuses me is that every Schleswig-Holsteiner knows this bridge from the traffic news, even if they've never crossed it. In case of heavy winds (which happen a fair bit up North) there'd be the staple announcement, "Die Fehmarnsundbrücke ist für leere LKW und Wohnwagengespanne gesperrt." (The Fehmarn Sound Bridge is closed for empty trucks and for cars with camper trailers.) It was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this screenshot. :D
Did you try landing on it?
In FSX I flew a Piper Cub from BWI to Raven's stadium to catch a game.
I actually flew from my parking area to the end of the runway because it was faster than taxiing across the whole damn airport. ATC wasn't too happy with me. :sleep:
I haven't downloaded the scenery pack yet. :blush:
I got rudder pedals last week so my 'physical' simulator is now complete, though I guess at some point I could start adding instrument panels too.
It's pretty weird driving a vehicle on the ground with only your feet. :D Much easier than trying to use the keyboard, though.
I'm pretty jealous. I have neither the space nor time to justify getting a whole simulator setup. :(
But once I do, I'm getting everything and justifying it as cheaper than actual flight lessons.
Which brand(s) did you go with for your rudders, etc.?
Quote from: Syt on September 08, 2021, 02:21:41 AM
Here's a good one, the bridge connecting the island of Fehmarn with the mainland in Schleswig-Holstein:
(https://assets2.rockpapershotgun.com/msfs-bridge.jpg/BROK/resize/1920x1920%3E/format/jpg/quality/80/msfs-bridge.jpg)
It's about 960 meters long:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Fehmarnsundbr%C3%BCcke_as_seen_from_Gro%C3%9Fenbroderf%C3%A4hre_20140817_1.jpg/1920px-Fehmarnsundbr%C3%BCcke_as_seen_from_Gro%C3%9Fenbroderf%C3%A4hre_20140817_1.jpg)
More details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fehmarn_Sound_Bridge
The reason this amuses me is that every Schleswig-Holsteiner knows this bridge from the traffic news, even if they've never crossed it. In case of heavy winds (which happen a fair bit up North) there'd be the staple announcement, "Die Fehmarnsundbrücke ist für leere LKW und Wohnwagengespanne gesperrt." (The Fehmarn Sound Bridge is closed for empty trucks and for cars with camper trailers.) It was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this screenshot. :D
Can you land on it?
Quote from: HisMajestyBOB on October 17, 2021, 09:06:24 AM
I'm pretty jealous. I have neither the space nor time to justify getting a whole simulator setup. :(
But once I do, I'm getting everything and justifying it as cheaper than actual flight lessons.
Which brand(s) did you go with for your rudders, etc.?
My yoke is a Honeycomb Alpha, my throttles are the Logitech/Saitek Flight Throttle Quadrant, and rudder pedals are Logitech G Pro Flight Rudder Pedals.
Played it for the first time. It didn't have presets for my stick, so I had to set it up manually. A bit of a missed opportunity at control settings, it would be helpful if the descriptions weren't just a repeat of the semi-cryptic name of the control. There's plenty of room for it. In a complex system like this you want to use all Points Of Learning available to you.
OTOH it did flatter my old computer by choosing High settings.
On my virtual world tour, I am now in Castrillón, Spain, having landed at Asturias Airport. It's really neat how the dry central Spanish plateau transitions so suddenly to green mountains and then drops straight into the sea, pretty much.
I entered Spain from Tangiers after stopping at Gibraltar. I then flew to Sevilla, then to Cordoba*, then to Madrid, some rural airstrip outside of Segovia, and then on to Asturias.
Madrid is HUGE. I guess I didn't realize what a big city it was before.
* the 'airport' I landed at there turned out to be a small airstrip used by regional firefighting services. Whoops. :D
Bought an HP Reverb G2 VR headset on sale for Black Friday, mainly for FS2020. Once I have that up and running my simulator will be: complete. :cool:
Believe it or not I'm still playing, though not as frequently as before, and VR didn't really work out too well for me because it's too hard for my wife to nag me when my senses are totally hijacked by the VR headset.
I just landed on Mykonos. So I'm still flying around in Europe. I have a really cool (free) add on now that 'injects' real-time, real-world air traffic into the Simulator so like on my last flight there were a bunch of Aegean Airlines, easyJet, RyanAir, etc. flights around. It also parks them at gates with the correct livery.. whereas when I was in France it was all AirFrance, etc. ... and of course RyanAir. There are swarms of RyanAir planes everywhere in Europe. :yuk:
Quote from: Caliga on June 22, 2023, 04:33:37 PMBelieve it or not I'm still playing, though not as frequently as before, and VR didn't really work out too well for me because it's too hard for my wife to nag me when my senses are totally hijacked by the VR headset.
I just landed on Mykonos. So I'm still flying around in Europe. I have a really cool (free) add on now that 'injects' real-time, real-world air traffic into the Simulator so like on my last flight there were a bunch of Aegean Airlines, easyJet, RyanAir, etc. flights around. It also parks them at gates with the correct livery.. whereas when I was in France it was all AirFrance, etc. ... and of course RyanAir. There are swarms of RyanAir planes everywhere in Europe. :yuk:
You literally just need to look up and they'll probably be one; on my way home this evening I passed under the approach flypath for Bournemouth airport and wouldn't you know it a 737 in RyanAir livery was hanging in the air above me. :rolleyes:
Peasants flying. :rolleyes:
I remember a while back RyanAir was talking about adding a 'class' of passenger that didn't had a seat and had to stand. :lol: I hope that never actually happened?